


To Find a Home

by hidekaneheadcanons



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: M/M, Naruto AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 15:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15911259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hidekaneheadcanons/pseuds/hidekaneheadcanons
Summary: Kaneki found a man bleeding in the forest behind his home. Despite the forehead protector declaring him as a missing ninja of the Leaf, he couldn't just leave him there.





	1. To Find a Home

The sea reminded Kaneki of home. The air smelled clean and fresh. The lapping of the waves against the shore was nostalgic and never failed to calm him when he was worried. When he was a child, he would sit on the beach and study his scrolls, curling his toes in the sand.

Maybe it was a mistake to set up in the Land of Waves, far too close to his old home, but he couldn’t give up the small piece of comfort the place gave him. He just couldn’t. So his new home became a small wooden cabin on a secluded stretch of beach. Behind the cabin was a forest of tall trees with wide trunks and large leaves.

As much as he appreciated the seclusion – it made him safe – he also hated it. Novels could only do so much to battle his loneliness. Human contact was rare and brief. But in his few necessary trips to the closest town, he shied away from most contact with other people, preferring to keep the conversations short and clipped. He supposed that the fear won out over the longing.

So he wasn’t sure why he was kneeling beside a bleeding man in the dead of night, dead-set on not letting him die. Despite the danger, Kaneki wasn’t about to let a guy bleed out while he was practically on his doorstep. Kaneki noted the forehead protector – a leaf with a slash across it – and felt slight relief. A ninja without a village was less likely to have someone to report back to – less likely to expose Kaneki.

Kaneki dipped his index finger into the fresh blood on the man’s chest and popped it into his mouth. He closed his eyes, feeling the slight shiver that ran through his body. He reopened his eyes, focusing back on the man. He chest was moving slightly as he breathed, his body covered in multiple slashes. However, nothing was as severe as the kunai buried to the hilt in his gut.

Kaneki could feel it, the fresh blood clinging to his skin. He could feel the blood running thought his veins. The blood pooling in his abdomen – the blade must have shifted inside him at some point. He could feel the blood clotting in the smaller wounds. He could even feel the droplets of blood that lead to the man’s position.

With that in mind, Kaneki healed the more minor wounds, then temporarily stopped the blood-flow to the area around the kunai, and carefully pulled it out. He’d have to heal the man enough to move him, then do the rest later. The wound was fresh and there was no way the man could’ve gotten far with the wound he sustained. Others would show up soon, looking or him.

Kaneki finished what he could, then focused his chakra, lifting the man’s blood from the ground and gathering into a ball beside him. With that done, he lifted the man up and carried him to his cabin. As soon as he got near the beach, he sent the ball flying out into the sea, letting is disperse in the water. Disposing of the blood wouldn’t cover all his tracks, but it would cover some, maybe enough to throw the ninja who were after the man off.

Kaneki hoped it would be enough.

He set the man down by the fireplace, then started a fire. It wasn’t that cold out, but the added warmth wouldn’t hurt, and Kaneki needed some light to work by. With the fire burning low, Kaneki began to finish the job he started. It was going to be a long night.

~<3<3<3~

When Hide woke up he was disoriented – mostly because he wasn’t expecting to wake up at all. You didn’t exactly survive alone in the woods with a kunai driven in your gut. And even if he did survive all that, Hide would have expected to wake up in an interrogation cell, not in a dark, wooden cabin beside a fireplace with a few lingering red-hot coals.

Hide gave himself a quick self-evaluation. Surprisingly, he didn’t hurt too much. Although, he noticed with some apprehension that all his weapons were gone and that he wasn’t wearing the same shirt he was the last time he was awake. However, he wasn’t restrained in any way and he had a pillow under his head and a warm blanket over him.

Hide slowly sat up, wincing slightly as he felt a twinge in his abdomen. His hand dropped and folded over his stomach, feeling the bandages underneath his borrowed shirt. Hide glanced around the room, seeing that he wasn’t alone. There was another man curled up on a bed, sleeping deeply.

Hide stood with a quiet grunt, wincing again when the movement pulled at his abdomen. He walked over so he could get a better look at him and was relieved when he realized he didn’t recognize him. Not a ninja from the Leaf Village then…

Hide breathed a quiet sigh of relief and edged away from the bed. Something else had caught his interest. Namely, the glint of metal on the table beside the bed. He picked up his forehead protector, the weight heavier than it should have been in his hands.

He was about to put it down in exchange for a kunai when a hand wrapped firmly around his wrist. Hide froze in surprise and stared down into grey eyes that were surprisingly sharp.

“You shouldn’t be up yet.” The man’s hand tightened around Hide’s wrist and Hide didn’t miss his grimace of pain.

Hide huffed. “And you should put some ointment on those hands.” Chakra burns. They looked pretty painful too. And based on how surprisingly decent Hide was feeling… “You’re a med-nin aren’t you? You should know that.”

The man narrowed his eyes, then released Hide’s wrist. “I was too tired.”

Hide quickly buried the guilt that rose up in him. He couldn’t afford to feel something like that, not when he still wasn’t sure what he wanted with him. People always wanted something. “I should thank you.” Hide stood straight and gestured to his abdomen. “For this. If it wasn’t for your treatment, I would have died. Though I wonder, why you just didn’t let me…”

The man nodded thoughtfully and sat up slowly. “I couldn’t let you, not when I could help you.”

Hide’s eyebrows rose. He pointed to his forehead protector on the table. “And that? I know you didn’t miss it. Why put yourself at such a risk, especially when you knew someone was already after me?”

“I already told you. I just couldn’t let you die.” The man stood, seeming unsteady on his feet. He leaned against the wall as he walked towards the fireplace, stopping in front of the shelves beside it. He retrieved a jar and some bandages, then slowly made his way back to his bed.

Hide frowned to himself as the man sat back down. “You’re a med-nin out in the middle of nowhere. I don’t see your forehead protector around here either. You unaffiliated? Or maybe in a similar situation as I?”

The man’s sharp glance up indicated that it was the latter of the two possibilities.

“So,” Hide continued. “How long have you been running then?”

“I’m not at liberty to tell you anything.” The man opened the jar and started to apply the ointment to his hands. “You can stay here until you’ve recovered. After that, I want you gone. And I want you to forget about this place.”

Too late for that.

Hide grabbed the bandages off the bed and sighed softly, ignoring the cautious look the man was giving him. “I’m not a med-nin, but I know how to wrap bandages. It’s the least I could do for you, since you got those injuries helping me.”

The man blinked a few times, then held out his hands. Hide wrapped them as gently as possible, knowing how painful chakra burns could be. He got them a few times when his training was pushed too far and his body just couldn’t take it.

“You should get more sleep.” The man’s voice was soft. “You’ve only gotten a couple hours of sleep and your body needs much more to heal. Do you need any help laying back down?”

Hide shook his head. “I think I can manage.”

Hide retreated to his mattress in front of the fireplace, half regretting saying that he would be able to manage. He grit his teeth as he laid down, sweat beading on his forehead. But once he was laying down and not moving, the pain was manageable, to a degree, anyway.

Exhausted, but not yet able to fall asleep, Hide stared into the burning hot coals. Hide scowled and painfully turned away from the embers. The Third Hokage’s Will of Fire… was a joke. How could he claim to love the village when he let Danzo lurk in the shadows and poison the village like a disease? Hide’s hand dropped to his abdomen, over the wound that was inflicted by his former allies and tried to not let the tears escape from his eyes.

~<3<3<3~

Hide awoke to the smell of food. The man was kneeling by the fire, stirring a large pot. He glanced over at Hide as soon as he woke up and smiled slightly.

“Good Afternoon.”

Hide frowned as he sat up, noticing that nearly all pain in his abdomen was gone. The man had fresh bandages on his hands. Hide folded a hand over his stomach. “I slept for that long?”

“I told you that you needed it,” the man said.

Hide grunted in affirmation.

“You should eat.” The man began ladling the stew into a bowl. “Then we should go for a short walk and see how you feel.”

Hide frowned. “Wouldn’t it be dangerous to go outside?”

The man smiled. “You’ll see.”

Well, that wasn’t strange or remotely ominous at all.

Hide took the bowl that was offered to him and ate gladly. He wasn’t aware of how hungry he was until the first spoonful was in his mouth. He wondered when was the last time he was able to properly sit down and eat. It was probably before he defected. At least a few days then.

When he was done the man took the bowl from him and instead offered a cup of tea, another thing Hide hadn’t had the time to have for quiet a while. The man made some good tea too; it wasn’t too bitter, and it wasn’t too sweet.

Hide finished his tea quicker than he would have preferred. He set the cup aside and started folding up his blankets. Once he finished, he stood, fighting the instinct to stretch.

“So, how bout that walk?” Hide was itching to at least go out and get moving. He was also curious about why the man thought that they weren’t in danger.

The first thing Hide noticed was the sea. The lapping of the waves against the shore was silent from where he was standing, but he could smell the salt water. He was surprised he hadn’t noticed it before. He walked forward, off the grass that surrounded the tiny cabin and onto the soft, warm sand. Smiling to himself, he lifted his feet one at a time to pull off his sandals, curling his toes in the sand.

“I’ve never gotten to enjoy being on a beach before.” The Leaf Village didn’t have any beaches. The only time Hide was on any were when he was outside the village, which meant he was on a mission. And the types of missions Hide went on didn’t allow someone to spend the time to relax.

The man had also kicked off his shoes and was waving Hide over. Curious, Hide followed. The man walked over to a tree and placed his hand on the bark. Hide’s eyebrows rose as a symbol appeared. Hide didn’t specialize in seal work, but working under Danzo, he knew his basics. The twisting spiral design was enough to give away the seal’s origin.

“Uzumaki seal work? Where did you get that?”

The man smiled wryly, his eyes sad. “Spoils of war.”

“Ah.” Hide didn’t really know what to say about that. “What does it do?”

“It casts a genjutsu over the area, allowing it to be hidden from the senses. People pass right over this place, not aware of its existence. The Uzumaki used it to hide the locations of their temples and jutsus.” The man shook his head. “It works against most.”

Hide hummed in consideration. “So it really is safe then?”

“Relatively. It’s kept me safe for a number of years.”

“So you’ve been out here alone for that long?” Hide couldn’t imagine it. He was a rather social person, especially for a ninja, and had a lot of acquaintances.

The man shrugged. “It’s safe.”

“It must be lonely too.”

The man twitched and Hide felt his stomach turn uncomfortably. This man was a missing-nin, just like him. Would Hide end up just as lonely as him, with no one to call a friend, with no one to talk to? Hide knew that he couldn’t have stayed in the Leaf, he knew that he didn’t regret his defection, however…

Hide didn’t want to be alone. He had to find somewhere he belonged.

“Have you ever considered going elsewhere? Maybe to one of the smaller villages? They could offer some protection. They’d welcome your skills as a med-nin as well.”

The man turned away from him. “No. I have nowhere I can go.” His hand slipped off the tree and the seal faded back into the wood. The man turned back towards the ocean, a sad expression on his face. “There’s nowhere I want to go.”

Hide opened his mouth to speak again, but the man shook his head sharply.

“For a walk, we haven’t done much walking. Come on.” He trudged though the sand, his face away from Hide, but Hide didn’t miss the tears running down his cheeks.

Hide stared out into the ocean, following the man quietly. They walked around what Hide was sure were the boundaries that were covered by the seal, first across the beach, then through the forest. It was only when they were back to the cabin, the man about to push open the door that Hide spoke.

“What’s your name?”

The man paused. “Why do you want to know that?”

Hide sighed. “Look, you can call me Hide, okay? That’s what everyone used to call me, and I don’t have any ulterior motives, okay? I just want to know the name of the man who saved my life.”

There was a flicker of a smile. “Then you can call me Ken.”

“Ken.” Hide grinned. “Alright then.”

~<3<3<3~

Ken was a relatively quiet person. Hide wasn’t sure if it was because he had spent so long alone, or if he was just naturally like that. When he did speak, his voice was usually soft and somewhat hesitant. In his past few days at the cabin, Hide noticed that Ken usually didn’t start conversations, but always listened when Hide spoke, even if his responses were minimal. When they sat and drank tea together, Hide even sometimes caught a faint smile on Ken’s face, which was usually quickly hidden behind a teacup.

Hide considered himself to be fully recovered and was surprised when Ken made no move to make him leave, like he said he would on Hide’s first night there. They fell into a strange routine, Ken doing most of the hunting and trapping for their food, while Hide went out to gather fruits and vegetables and nuts.

Hide was there for a total of two weeks when he had to pop the question while they were making dinner together. “So, not that I’m not glad to still be here. Which I mean, I’m _totally_ happy you haven’t kicked me out yet. But like… why haven’t you?”

Ken’s eyebrows rose, then he shrugged. “I don’t mind your company.”

“Oh. Okay. So can I stay then?”

Ken smiled. “As long as you pull your weight.”

Hide grinned and stood straight, giving a mock salute. “No worries there!”

Ken huffed softly. “Then you have nothing to worry about.”

They sat and drank tea after dinner, Ken resting on his side, his head propped up on his hand. His eyes were closed, his expression peaceful. It was a distinct change from when Hide first arrived, when Ken’s expressions were more somber.

It was a welcome change.

“Do you want to spar?” The question took Hide by surprise. He glanced at Ken, who was staring at him with raised eyebrows and a blank expression that meant that Ken was nervous about Hide’s answer.

Hide coughed, setting his nearly empty tea cup down. “If you want to?”

“Taijutsu only? It’s been a while since I’ve had a partner to work with.” A small smile was creeping back onto Ken’s face.

Hide couldn’t help but grin back. “Weapons allowed?”

Ken snorted. “Of course.”

Hide stood, stretching. He was eager to be able to train again, and especially eager to see what Ken was capable of. His past as a ninja was largely unknown to Hide, other than the fact he could use medical ninjutsu. Hide himself used taijutsu and genjutsu, though ninjutsu wasn’t exactly his forte.

Hide offered his hand to Ken, who took it and allowed Hide to pull him up to his feet. Hide went to go collect his gear, watching Ken out of the corner of his eye as he knelt beside his bed and reached underneath it. Hide noticed the faint glow of a seal, then Ken was pulling out a few pouches and a short sword.

Hide’s eyebrows raised, but he continued gearing up, strapping his kunai pouch on his thigh and his shuriken and ninja wire pouch on his hip. Hide was never one to pick a specialized weapon and preferred to work with the basics. For him, they were more than enough.

They went out onto the beach, Ken walking in front with his sword sheathed. They hadn’t even gotten into their stances yet and Hide was already vibrating in anticipation. He missed the thrill of the fight. He could tell Ken was just as eager, his fingers drumming against his sword handle.

Ken stopped and Hide circled him until he was just out of range. When Ken fell into a stance, so did Hide. Hide pulled out two kunai and held them in both hands, which made Ken draw his sword. Ken’s stance was relaxed, his shoulders down and his sword held with one hand between them. He was smiling, eyes alight with something Hide had seen may times before, but not in Ken.

Hide could already tell he was going to enjoy the spar. Even before Ken rushed forward with breathtaking speed, sword aimed for Hide’s abdomen. Hide spun out of the way just in time, deflecting the sword with the kunai in his right hand. Instead of moving away from Ken, he moved closer, aiming a slash at Ken’s collarbone with the kunai in his left hand. It was close enough to the neck to show Hide’s intent, but wouldn’t be lethal if struck. Ken brought his sword up, angling the hilt to the sky as he braced the back of his blade with his other forearm. The blades connected and sparked.

Ken pushed Hide back, forcing him out of range again.

Hide twirled his kunai around his index fingers, the caught the handles again, grinning. “Not bad.”

Ken huffed. “I haven’t even gotten started.”

He came at him again, attacking Hide with quick and precise swings that he was just able to avoid. Hide was lucky that he was naturally agile, otherwise he would have been covered in more than the odd scratch from the blade skimming across his skin. Hide returned every attack with equal precision, rolling under swings and twisting out of the way, only to push close enough to Ken that he couldn’t properly maneuver his sword.

Deciding to kick it up a notch, Hide retreated completely out of Ken’s range, hands drifting to the pouch on his hip and turning to hide what he was doing from view.

Ken tilted his head. “You’re not done already, are you?”

“As if.” Happy enough with his plan, Hide rushed forward again, this time with multiple kunai in each hand. He threw a couple at Ken, hoping he wouldn’t notice the hair-thin wire attached so them.

Ken huffed and ducked out of the way, dogging the kunai entirely. They struck true in the ground behind him. Hide made sure to cross the wires, then threw another pair at Ken, moving forward before the wire had the chance to slacken.

Ken deflected the kunai that was going to hit him to the side, the moved to defend against Hide’s next attack. However, what he wasn’t expecting was for Hide to feint to the one side, then roll around Ken completely so that he was behind him.

Hide grinned as he grabbed hold of the ninja wire and pulled it tight. There was a startled gasp from Ken and Hide turned just in time to see the comical sight of Ken almost getting nailed in the forehead with the back of his own sword.

He released the sword and dropped to the ground, not entirely able to avoid the ninja wire according to the cut on his cheek. Even if Ken wasn’t caught up in it anymore, his sword certain was. Hide pulled on the ninja wire again and tossed it away. He wondered how Ken would fare without it.

Soon after Ken drew his kunai, Hide found out the answer was: just as well. It wasn’t long before Hide was finding his stock of kunai, as well as his stock of shuriken running low. They were making less progress than when Ken had his sword. While Hide was a close-range fighter with kunai, it was abundantly clear that Ken fought long range with them, darting across the battlefield and keeping Hide at a distance while he chucked them at Hide’s chest.

As fun as it initially was, Hide grew bored with being used for target practice. Catching Ken’s eyes, he raised his eyebrows. He threw the last of his reserve kunai and shuriken, while keeping his main two kunai in his hands just in case. “What do you say about a little hand-to-hand?”

Ken laughed quietly, then smiled and threw his last kunai at Hide. Hide in turn, threw his last two as well, deflecting Ken’s and sending the remaining weapons flying to the sides.

Hide cracked his knuckles, rolling his head from one side to the other. Ken simply sank into a defensive stance and waited. Hide cautiously inched closer, watching for any movement on Ken’s part. There was a flash of movement and Ken was kicking under Hide’s guard, knocking his hands away. Then a fist drove into Hide’s chest, knocking the breath out of him.

Gasping, Hide retaliated and threw out a solid kick at Ken’s stomach, but it hit his hip instead, knocking him off balance. Jumping on the opportunity, Hide lunged at Ken, sweeping at his legs to draw his attention down and using that movement to move in close enough to land a hook on Ken’s left cheek.

Ken grunted in pain as he stumbled and Hide tackled him in rest of the way to the ground. Ken tried to elbow him in the face, but Hide didn’t relent, even as his lip split. He knelt over Ken’s chest and placed the edge of his palm against Ken’s throat.

“Do you give?”

Ken huffed. “Yeah.”

Hide sat back a bit. “Hand-to-hand not one of your strengths?”

“I prefer to use my sword.” Ken pushed Hide off him.

Hide groaned and rolled away so they were laying side-by-side. “Still, you pack quite the punch.” He touched his lip and winced, his fingers coming away bloody. “Is it weird to say it was good to be beat up again?”

“No. There’s nothing like a controlled spar.” Ken sighed softly. “I haven’t felt this good in years.”

Ken rolled over to face him, propping himself up on his elbow. Hide froze at Ken reached for his face, hand glowing green. His fingers settled on Hide’s lips and he shifted closer, on a couple inches from Hide’s face as he inspected the injury.

He was close enough that Hide could see brown flecks around his pupils. Hide glanced away and swallowed thickly, hoping Ken wouldn’t say anything about the way his cheeks were reddening. Preferably, he wouldn’t notice at all. Except that there was no way he wouldn’t and red was blossoming across Ken’s cheeks in response. Which… was a better response than Hide could have asked for.

Hide couldn’t lie; Ken _was_ attractive and around his age. He was kind and sweet. But, he was damn powerful too. And Hide found he liked that _quite a lot_. And if being a ninja taught Hide anything, it was that his life could end at any moment and that he never had any time to waste.

“All done.” Ken’s fingers were still on his lips. “Does it feel better?”

“Yeah.” Hide shifted back and rubbed at his face.

Ken raised his hand to his own face, healing the growing bruise on his cheek. Hide sat up, leaning back on his hands. The sun had set, and the moon was providing just enough light that Hide could see. The waves were lapping at the shore gently, the moonlight reflected on the water.

Hide smiled at Ken, appraising him, then pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the side.

Ken sputtered and his flush deepened. “What are you doing?” He coughed into his hand and covered the lower half of his face with it. “Do you need something else healed?”

“Nope! I’m going swimming. Care to join?” Before Ken could even answer, Hide was pulling his pants off throwing them in Ken’s direction. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Hide speed off in the direction of the beach, not waiting for Ken’s response. He splashed through the water until he was deep enough to dive in, shivering a little when he felt how cold it was. He swam out a little farther, until the water was up to his chest, then he stood. He turned towards the shore, smiling at he saw Ken hopping around awkwardly as he tried to take his pants of and walk at the same time.

Ken walked out a lot slower than Hide did, though he was a much faster swimmer. He looked unimpressed when he was finally beside Hide.

“It isn’t the best time of year for this, you know.” He shuddered.

Hide laughed. “But it’s been so long since I’ve swam. We don’t have a whole lot of opportunities in the Leaf Village. Well, at least not at places as nice as these.” Hide shrugged. “It’s not so bad when you get used to it.

“I guess.” Ken smiled. “It is nice to cool down after…” Ken trailed off as Hide offered him his hand.

Hide watched the same flush from earlier climb up Ken cheeks before he hesitantly took Hide’s hand. Hide pulled them close together, cupping Ken’s healed cheek with his other hand. Ken’s eyes were wide, and his breath hitched when Hide caressed his cheek with his thumb.

“Can I kiss you?” Hide whispered.

Ken’s hand tightened around his and he bit his lip, glancing away from Hide. His nod was jerky. Hide huffed a laugh and leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against Ken’s. Ken stood still, so Hide caressed his cheek again, trying to coax him into relaxing.

“Is something wrong?” Hide glanced at Ken’s face, looking for any traces of discomfort or stress.

Ken shook his head. “N-no. Just – I’m nervous. Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Hide said. “It’s just me.”

Luckily that seemed to relax him enough that he when he leaned forward to return Hide’s kiss, he was no longer gripping Hide’s hand like a lifeline. Hide returned the kiss eagerly, humming when Ken released his hand in favour of placing it tentatively on his waist.

Ken leaned back, his blush having spread down his neck. “What does this –“ Ken’s fingers drummed against Hide’s side. “Mean?”

“I don’t know yet.” Hide’s lips quirked. “Do you?”

Ken paused, then shook his head. “For now, I guess it doesn’t matter.” Then he kissed Hide again.

~<3<3<3~

There were many things that haunted Kaneki, especially at night. It was common for him to wake up, covered in sweat and panting from a nightmare. They were vivid – so vivid Kaneki often thought they were real, even a few minutes after he awoke.

Kaneki clawed at the blankets on his bed and pressed his face into his pillow, trying to banish the images of Hide being dragged out of their home – because Kaneki truly felt like it was _theirs_ – by masked ninjas. They took him and held him still as they plunged a kunai into his throat. Kaneki could only struggle as he tried to get a drop of blood – just a single drop of blood – so that he could stop Hide from bleeding. But all he could do was stand there and watch as the light faded from his eyes and he was dropped to the ground, left lying in a pool of his own blood.

Kaneki felt a hand on his shoulder and immediately flinched. He twisted in his bed, getting ready to defend himself, only to see Hide hovering over him with his hands raised. Kaneki relaxed immediately, slumping back into his bed and sighing heavily. He folded his hand over his eyes and rubbed them, feeling the tears that ran down his face.

“You okay?” Hide sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on Kaneki’s shoulder again.

Kaneki shook his head.

Hide laid down beside him, pulling him against his chest. A sob escaped when Kaneki buried his face against Hide’s chest. He fisted his fingers in Hide’s shirt and squeezed his eyes shut. Hide gently running his fingers through his hair only made it harder to not cry.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hide whispered.

Kaneki felt the urged to shake his head, but at the same time… to talk to someone about it – to finally be able to talk to someone about it… he wanted that. For years, he wanted that. He didn’t want to have to deal with that alone – not anymore.

“Four years ago, my clan fell victim to the bloodline purges in the Land of Water. We lived a decent distance away from the Mist Village and were fairly secluded. Despite that, we participated in the war, fighting on the frontlines with many others. And yet – they decided to kill us. There was no warning. We knew it was happening to others – and maybe it was hubris – but no one believed that it would happen to us.

“They came at night and slit our throats while we slept. They were anbu – or at least posed as them. I was one of the few that woke up – there was very little commotion. Before I knew it, I was being dragged out of my home. There were dead bodies everywhere. My cousin’s throat was slit right in front of me. As he fell, he was able to kill both of his captors.”

Kaneki remembered the despair and triumph on his cousin’s face as he bit his lip, then used the waterfall of blood coming from his own throat to impale his captors. Kaneki finally unfroze and used the distraction to free himself and rush to his cousin, dipping his finger into the blood pooled on the ground and sticking it in his mouth. He didn’t use much blood to kill his own captor. He only needed a thin sheet of it to slit his throat like they did to so many of his relatives.

When his body fell, Kaneki turned back to his cousin, desperate to help him, only to find dead eyes staring back at him.

“I was able to escape. But, I still feel guilty. Maybe I should have died with the rest of them. I wish I would have been able to save someone else – anyone else.”

Hide rubbed soothing circles on his back. “You survived. I don’t think you have to feel guilty about that.”

Kaneki shook his head.

Hide hugged him closer and Kaneki shifted so he could tuck his face under Hide’s chin. “Do you want me to stay?”

Kaneki nodded. He moved back from Hide just long enough that he could lift the edge of the blanket so Hide could join him under it. He curled up against Hide, feeling his warmth surround him. It was calming and allowed Kaneki to start relaxing. Once he did, he realized how exhausted he was. Hide continued to rub his back and Kaneki’s eyelids were getting heavy.

“Stay,” Kaneki whispered before sleep took him.

~<3<3<3~

Waking up beside someone was strange. Strange, but pleasant. Hide’s arms were still curled around him from the night before and his soft snores were tickling the top of his head. Kaneki glanced up, smiling when he saw Hide’s relaxed expression above him. Kaneki untangled himself enough from Hide’s limbs that he could back up and cup Hide’s cheek. Hide shifted a little in his sleep and grumbled.

“I’m gonna get us some breakfast.” Kaneki whispered, mostly to himself. He planted a kiss on Hide’s forehead, then slid out of bed and started to get his gear together. He would start by checking his snares and then gather a few berries from the bushes behind the house.

The air outside was fresh, water clinging to the leaves and the grass. It must have rained the previous night, though Kaneki didn’t notice. He shivered a little and pulled his cloak tighter around him. He never did like cold mornings. He was surprised there wasn’t frost on the ground.

His first few snares turned out nothing, though in his last one there was a big rabbit, certainly enough to feed him and Hide for breakfast. Kaneki cut its throat and freed it from the trap, sighing as he stood up after he wiped the blood from his knife on the grass.

As he was straightening, he noticed something move in the trees. Kaneki froze, glanced up towards the movement and stared up into a pair of red eyes behind a white mask. And those red eyes stared right back at him, right through the illusion the seals created. Kaneki saw those eyes and he saw the mask and he knew what it meant.

The people who were hunting Hide had found them. And they had an Uchiha who could see through Kaneki’s illusion. Kaneki drew a kunai, cursing his complacency and blind trust in his barrier. His sword was at home. He couldn’t fight to his full capacity.

Kaneki launched forward, but he wasn’t fast enough. The Uchiha disappeared from the branch. Kaneki cursed and froze. Did he chase after the Uchiha? Or did he go and get Hide? He thought back to his clan, the way their throats were slit while they slept and knew what he had to do. Kaneki didn’t know what he was up against. If he chased after the Uchiha and ran into the rest of his team, then he could die, and Hide would have no warning of the imminent threat. But, if Kaneki woke Hide, perhaps they could flee before the rest of the Leaf Ninja caught up with them.

Kaneki raced back to the cabin, gasping for breath as he shoved the door up. Hide startled and shot up in bed.

“Get your things.” Kaneki rushed across the room for the bag under his bed. “We need to go. _Now._ ”

To Hide’s credit, he was up immediately, grabbing his clothes and gear and putting them on. “What happened?”

“An Uchiha saw through the seal illusion.”

Hide paled, but nodded. “A team must be coming. They won’t be far.” He strapped his two pouches on and drew a couple kunai. “I’m ready.”

They rushed out of the house, Hide following close behind Kaneki. They ran through the trees, only stopping occasionally to set traps for their pursuers. Hide’s fingers were shaking, but as he continued to set traps with his ninja wire, kunai and exploding tags, his fear was replaced with focus.

“You should go on ahead,” Hide said. “It’s me they’re after.”

Kaneki shook his head. “No,” he snapped. “I’m not leaving you.”

They ran, but they were no match for an anbu tracking team with an Uchiha, who surely dismantled their traps like they were children’s toys. Kaneki caught Hide’s eyes as the squad caught up with them and saw how they pleaded with him, but he could never leave Hide. Jaw clenched, he turned to face their pursuers and drew his sword.

As they engaged in battle, Kaneki had one relief. They didn’t know about his bloodline, so they wouldn’t know how dangerous one scratch from Kaneki’s blade could be. There were three enemies and two of them, but even one extra opponent could turn the tides. Especially when they were anbu level.

Kaneki launched himself at the nearest one. They had a sword much like he did, but no one could beat the Mist Village when it came to using swords. Kaneki smirked a little when the anbu grunted and struggled to block Kaneki’s strike. Kaneki felt even more satisfaction when the anbu couldn’t entirely avoid his next strike, the blade slicing across their thigh and drawing blood.

That satisfaction was cut short when he saw movement to his right. Kaneki twisted, barely avoiding the kunai plunging towards his gut, but not avoid the body weight crashing into him. Kaneki gasped as a hand grabbed his wrist and twisted it until it snapped. Kaneki was forced to drop his sword, gritting his teeth against the pain.

“Go help take down Nagachika. I want this one alive.” The anbu above him spoke. He must have been the commander, then.

Like hell Kaneki was going to let Hide die, and like hell we was going to allow himself to be captured and brought to the Leaf Village for interrogation. Kaneki struggled to free himself, but was only reward with a punch to the face that left blood gushing down his nose and black spots swimming in his vision. Distantly, he heard Hide call out for him in distress.

Not again.

Kaneki wouldn’t let anyone he loved die in front of him again. Kaneki fought through the nausea and dizziness and glared up at the commander above him. Using all the strength he could, he yanked his arms free of the commander’s grasp and pushed himself up. A scream of pain tore out of him just before he sunk his teeth into the commander’s throat.

Blood spurted across Kaneki’s face and the man punched him again to dislodge him, but the damage was already done. Kaneki focused, forcing more blood through the opening in the commander’s throat, effectively bleeding him and covering Kaneki in his blood. When the commander slumped, Kaneki pushed him off and rolled out from under him.

Kaneki glanced in Hide’s direction, seeing him struggle against two opponents and covered in cuts and mud. Before they could notice the commander was dead, Kaneki reached for his sword, seeing the small amount of blood along the blade. He swiped his thumb across it, gathering the blood and then licking it from his thumb.

He focused on the anbu fighting with the Uchiha across the clearing, seeing pain on Hide’s face as another slash cut across his back. Kaneki focused on the feeling of blood, of the blood running through the anbu’s veins. Then he forced all of it towards their heart. They collapsed on the spot.

Kaneki held his sword in his left hand. His right was his dominant hand, but he wasn’t entirely useless with his left. He stumbled to his feet and then rejoined the fight. Hide’s eyes were narrowed in focus as they attacked in tandem, Kaneki feeling a little more than off-balance, but Hide easily compensated for every misstep he made.

Finally, one of Hide’s kunai struck true. It wasn’t enough to kill, but it didn’t need to be.

“Hide, pass!” Kaneki dropped his sword and held his hand out for the kunai. Once it was safely in Kaneki’s hands, the fight was over. He lifted it to his mouth and licked the blood off the blade. The very next second, the Uchiha was collapsed on the forest floor, dead.

Hide panted, hunching over to place his hands on his knees. “We’re alive.”

Kaneki nodded numbly, swaying on his feet.

Hide glanced up at him, his eyes widening. He rushed forward to catch Kaneki just before he collapsed. Darkness swirled and erased his vision. The last thing he heard before he passed out was Hide calling his name.

~<3<3<3~

Ken was laying in bed with most of the blood wiped off of him and a make-shift splint on his arm. Hide didn’t know when he was going to be waking up, but his vitals seemed alright, so Hide supposed he just had to wait.

In the meantime, Hide started packing. They just grabbed their weapons before, but Ken had many medical plants dried in jars and ointments that were already made. He knew they would be useful to bring along, even if it was a little extra weight to carry. He packed them into bags carefully and also put away some dried meat, some vegetables and fruit they had leftover.

When there was nothing left to do, Hide sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Ken’s hair. He was careful not to touch Ken’s beaten and swollen face, worried he would hurt him even more. Even worse off was Ken’s wrist, which was black and blue, but thankfully not deformed. Hide didn’t know how to reset bones.

Hide’s own wounds were comparably minor, though more numerous. He had bandages all over his body, covering the wounds he cleaned and disinfected. A few needed stiches, which Hide did he best he could. They wouldn’t be pretty when they healed, but it was better than nothing.

Hide sighed softly and continued to run his fingers through Ken’s hair. With his other, he held Ken’s uninjured hand. There was blood still caked under the fingernails. With how much he was covered in it, it was impossible to clean him up entirely.

Hide saw Ken use his bloodline. He heard of the Kaneki clan before. They made a name for themselves in the war. If they consumed the blood of their enemy, they could control the blood in their body. They were known for being relentless and bathing the battlefield in blood.

Hide shook his head and lifted Ken’s hand, gently kissing the back of it.

“Hide?” Ken’s one eye was cracked open, his other swollen shut entirely.

“Hey.” Hide squeezed his hand. “How you feeling?”

“Terrible.” Ken winced and disentangled their fingers, making his hand glow green. He placed it over his injured wrist and sighed in relief.

Hide went back to stroking his hair, his eyebrows drawn in as he watched Ken heal himself. “Do you need me to get you anything?”

“Water?”

Hide had set some to boil over the fire earlier, so he walked over and pour some into a cup for Ken. When he went back over to the bed, the glow faded and Ken struggled to sit up. Hide hurried to help him, wrapping an arm around his back to support him.

“Thank you,” Ken said, taking the cup. His hand was trembling, so Hide folded his hand over Ken’s, making sure he wouldn’t spill the water all over himself.

“You’ve been out for a few hours,” Hide told him. “We have at least another day or two before the Leaf Village notices something is wrong and sends out another squad. You should take the opportunity to rest.”

Ken hummed. “I still want to get going as soon as we can. If we can leave by morning, it would be best.” Ken glanced up at him, his expression suddenly fearful. “That is, if you want to come with me. It’s – it’s okay if you don’t. I’d understand.” His gaze dropped.

“Of course I want to come with you,” Hide whispered, half-shocked. “Why do you think I wouldn’t want to?”

Ken swallowed thickly, tearing up a little. “My bloodline was feared and – and you saw what I was able to do.”

“Yeah, and you saved my life with it. For the _second_ time.” Hide pressed his lips against the crown of Ken’s head. “Thank you for that. For not abandoning me. And please know that I’m not going to abandon you either.”

Ken’s breath hitched and he turned to pressed his forehead against Hide’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Hide smiled. “So, where are we going after this?”

“I don’t know,” Ken murmured. “I’ve heard the Land of Snow is nice this time of year.”


	2. Epilogue... 14 Years Later...

After living in the Land of Snow for so long, it felt far too hot in the Land of Fire. Kaneki wiped the sweat from his brow and squeezed Hide’s hand as they stood outside the village gates. Hide was trembling, though whether it was from fear or excitement, Kaneki didn’t know.

They first got the news a couple weeks earlier. Kaneki was skinning and cleaning some of the animals his snares had caught while Hide went into town for supplies. Hide enjoyed going to town a lot more than Kaneki, though sometimes they went together. It usually made Kaneki nervous to be around too many people, not knowing which one could expose then and send them on the run again.

When Hide came back, his face pale, Kaneki was sure they would have to leave. Kaneki stood and tensed, waiting as Hide stood dazed before him, his eyes distant. Finally, he spoke. “The Leaf Village released a list of Missing Ninja that were pardoned.” He swallowed thickly. “I was on that list.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Kaneki turned on his heel and went back to cleaning the meat. “What if they arrest you the moment you get to the gates?”

“I don’t think they will. They’ve pardoned a lot of worse people than me. Besides, Danzo died shortly before the fourth war. They’ve likely uncovered his past sins since the seals he put on ROOT operatives are no longer functional.”

Kaneki remembered the night it disappeared and how he laid in bed with Hide for hours as he recounted his time in the organization. He told Kaneki about the horrors they were ordered to commit – all for the apparent good of the village – and how the Third Hokage did nothing to stop it. Hide told Kaneki how many countless lives Danzo ruined.

“What makes you think that?” Kaneki tossed the meat into a pot with some vegetables and stock.

“I recognized some of the names. I know many of them fell under Danzo’s rule.” Hide said quietly.

Kaneki swallowed thickly. He put the pot over the fire, then wiped off his hands. He forced his own fear down and instead focused on Hide. “Do you… want to go back?”

“I don’t know.” Hide’s shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Kaneki knew Hide had a hard time living outside a village. He was the type of person that needed interaction with others, and was so much happier when surrounded by a lot of people. Kaneki was sure that if the Leaf Village welcomed Hide back, he would thrive. But, Kaneki was also immensely worried it was all a ploy and they would just kill him the second he stepped up to the gates.

But… Hide wasn’t the only one that wanted more. Kaneki was tired. He was tired of the constant worrying of being discovered. With a village came protection. With a village came allies.

“When do we leave?” Kaneki wasn’t going to let Hide go alone.

Hide gaped at him like a fish. “I –“

“The Leaf Village lost a lot of ninja during the war. They should be happy to welcome both of us.”

“You… you want to go?” Hide was starting to tear up.

Kaneki nodded. “And I know how much you missed it too.” Kaneki crossed the room and stood in front of Hide, reaching up to cup his cheek. “We wouldn’t have to hide anymore. We could have friends. _We could have family_.”

Hide’s breath hitched. He stepped forward and pressed a soft kiss to Kaneki’s lips. “Let’s give it a few weeks. I’ll keep an ear out for information regarding the other names on the list.”

And so, they gave it a few weeks. Everything seemed to check out. Others were being welcomed back to the village and Kaneki was starting to feel more comfortable with the idea of going with Hide. Still, while they packed, Kaneki’s hands shook. He checked his equipment over and over again, running over scenarios in his head. If the Leaf attacked them, how would they get away? Kaneki took numerous pre-prepared seals with him that would help to disguise their tracks if they escaped the initial fight.

A few nights after they finished packing, most of their belongings stored in storage seals, they found themselves standing outside the Leaf Village. Hide was frozen on the road, his eyes wide as he took it all in. In the background, Kaneki could see the faces of the Hokage on the mountain.

“It looks… different…” Hide whispered.

Kaneki nodded. They knew the village was destroyed before the fourth war. It looked like it was still in the process of being repaired. Distantly, Kaneki could hear hammers pounding and saws whirling. Taking a deep breath, Kaneki tugged on Hide’s hand and they moved forward.

They stepped up the two chuunin guarding the gates and Hide cleared his throat. “Nagachika Hideyoshi. I’ve heard I’ve been pardoned?”

The chunnin stared at him for a long moment, then shuffled about, pulling a sheet of paper out of his pocked. “You’re on the list. We’ll have to get your identity verified and you’ll have to undergo a short evaluation. Until you’re able to get an appointment to see the Hokage, you will be put up in an inn. Please keep in mind you will have an anbu guard following you at all times. If you pose a threat to the village you will be either forced to leave or eliminated.” The chuunin was filing out papers as he spoke. “Please keep these on you at all times. You may be asked to present them to any active ninja of the village.”

Hide took his paper and stared at it quietly. Kaneki could see the hope blossoming in his expression.

The guard regarded Kaneki next. “And you are?”

“Kaneki Ken. I wish to negotiate my joining of the village, so long as Hide is accepted back.”

“Kaneki, huh?” The chuunin narrowed his eyes at him. “The same rules apply. I’ll make sure your appointments are back-to-back.” The chuunin quickly filled out his paperwork for him. “The inn just down the main road and has a large red and yellow sign. You can’t miss it.”

Indeed, they couldn’t. The sign was large and garish and in Kaneki opinion, a total eye-sore. Despite the outer appearance of the inn, it was fairly nice and well-kept, if a little small. They presented their information at the front desk and they were quickly given a room together.

Hide immediately ran to the bed, throwing himself on it. “Oh my god, it’s so bouncy.”

Kaneki huffed a laugh and started taking off his equipment. Once he did, he crawled into bed with Hide. He tangled their legs together and hugged him tightly. “It’s nice,” Kaneki murmured. “Not just the bed.”

Hide hummed. “I’m glad you like it.” His lips brushed against the shell of Kaneki’s ear.

~<3<3<3~

The Hokage called Kaneki in before Hide. Hide cast a nervous glance at Kaneki, his hand squeezing tightly around his. Kaneki gently disentangled their fingers. “It’ll be okay.” Kaneki said, even if he felt nervous going in there without Hide and without weapons.

Kaneki stepped into the Hokage’s office, the door swinging shut behind him. He felt the presence of numerous anbu in the room, but resisted the urge to look around. Instead, he looked straight ahead at the Hokage, a woman with blonde hair and a serous expression.

Kaneki gave a deep bow. When he looked up, the Hokage was looking at him with amusement.

“I hear you want to join my village.” She leaned her elbows on her desk.

“I do,” Kaneki stated. “With Hide.”

She gave him a calculated look. “You say your name is Kaneki Ken. Do you have proof you are a member of the Kaneki clan?”

Kaneki’s eyebrows rose. He raised his thumb to his mouth and bit down hard. He allowed the blood to run down his hand before shaping it into a thin senbon. He felt the anbu tense as he made the weapon, but the Hokage waved her hand at them. Kaneki held the senbon out to her and she took it in careful hands.

“Impressive.” She handed it to Kaneki, who slid it into one of his pockets before holding a green-glowing hand to his thumb. The Hokage’s smile widened. “And you’re a med-nin as well. That’s rare outside the Land of Fire. After your evaluation and Nagachika Hideyoshi’s evaluation, I will assess your medical skills myself.”

“Thank you.” Kaneki gave another low bow.

The Hokage nodded. “You are dismissed.”

~<3<3<3~

The evaluation wasn’t as bad as Hide expected. It was fairly quick, involving a quick trip to T&I, which was so nerve wracking Hide almost puked. However, they were never escorted down into the lower levels. They were simply taken into individual rooms and were questioned on the two decades of their lifes, where their loyalties laid and what they planned to do as a ninja of the Leaf Village.

A week later, their skills were evaluated as ninja and Hide’s former status as a jounin was restored. Ken was awarded that status as well, though most of his initial work was in the hospital. After his personal evaluation with the Hokage, she determined she wanted him to help out healing those who were still struggling with chronic injuries after the war. He also assisted her in surgery many times, since he significantly reduced the amount of blood transfusions they needed to do.

Ken would come home late at night and exhausted, but Hide could tell he was happy with his work. He would crawl into bed and curl around Hide, sighing softly. Every night Hide would rouse and shift to accommodate him.

Both of them were being kept in the village and under supervision until the Hokage was sure they could be trusted, but Hide noticed their guard was following them around less and less. Hide was also starting to make acquaintances, and some of them were people he used to know. Ken wasn’t assimilating as well, though he was making friends with some of the nurses at the hospital.

Hide was sure they would both soon be cleared for missions outside the village, but Hide wanted to stay and do missions on the inside for a bit more. He liked rebuilding things, and the hot sun on his neck and arms was familiar and comforting.

Besides, they had just gotten their own house, a little cabin on the edge of the village with a small garden Hide liked to tend to in his free time. Hide mostly grew different vegetables, but he also grew some medical herbs for Ken. In turn, Ken made salves to apply to the sunburns Hide inevitably got. Other jars also lined the shelves, much like in their old cabins before this one.

Hide was happy and even happier to spend time with Ken when his shifts at the hospital eased up. But, something still seemed to be missing, though Hide didn’t know what. It was when Ken stopped him in the kitchen after breakfast and asked to speak to him that he realized what it was.

“The Hokage asked me today, if I had any plans of passing on my bloodline.” Ken fiddled with the handle of his teacup. “I was wondering if – if you wanted to have children and – and raise them with me?”

Hide froze, then saw Ken’s half nervous and half hopefully expression. He flung himself at Ken and hugged him tightly. “Oh my god. I would _love_ to have little ones running around.” Hide cupped Ken’s cheeks and looked into his wide eyes. “I want gaggles of them.” Hide couldn’t help but grin at the idea.

Ken huffed softly and rolled his eyes. “Well, I don’t know about gaggles of them, but maybe one or two.”

Hide laughed. “So did she talk about a surrogate? Or…?”

“She did mention finding one, but I didn’t want to move ahead unless I was sure you wanted to have kids.” Ken was smiling just a little. “I never thought I would be having this conversation. To have a family is…” Ken’s eyes started to water.

“I didn’t think I would be able to have one either.” Hide kissed him, grinning the whole time. “I want to have a family with you.”

Ken huffed and wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded. “I’ll talk to her today.” He kissed Hide. He was hurried, like he couldn’t wait to talk to the Hokage about it. “Love you.”

“You too.” Hide watched as Ken gathered his things, a smile on his face as inevitably dropped things in his hurry. Hide couldn’t help but feel hope blossom in his chest. To have Ken, to have a family, to have a village – it was more than Hide ever hoped to have that night he was chased out of the village by Danzo and his mindless soldiers.

Hide was happier than he ever hoped to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may add a little drabble series if I get inspiration. Just a few things that I wasn't able to add to the main story or that didn't fit the tone (for example, Kaneki finding out there was an Uzumaki alive in the Leaf Village and returning the clan scrolls to him).
> 
> Anyway, let me know if you'd be interested in that. I hope you liked the story!


End file.
